No election to Congress Working Committee, party president to nominate members

RAIPUR: The Congress on Friday decided against holding any election to the party's working committee, its highest decision-making body, "unanimously" authorising president Mallikarjun Kharge to nominate members. The decision was taken in the steering committee meeting, which was skipped by the Gandhi family.
“The steering committee had a two-and-a-half-hour-long discussion today (Friday) morning. The steering committee unanimously, I stress not through consensus, decided to authorise the party president to nominate the Congress Working Committee (CWC) members,” general secretary Jairam Ramesh told reporters at the 85th plenary session venue at Nava Raipur.
Senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and her children Rahul and Priyanka didn't attend the steering committee meeting that began at 10 am on Friday at the venue, apparently to ensure that the committee under Kharge’s chairmanship, takes an independent call on the crucial matters.
The CWC consists of the party president, the leader of Congress in Parliament and 23 other members, including 12 who are elected by the AICC. The rest of the members are appointed by the Congress president. For the last two-and-a-half decades, all CWC members have been nominated by the Congress president.
Ramesh said given the political circumstances and challenges in the country and that the Congress being the main opposition national party, this decision has been taken. However, he didn’t elaborate on the details of the reason.
“Significant amendments in 16 articles and 32 rules in the party constitution have been proposed which would be discussed during the plenary. And the most significant among these is the amendment in CWC representation which calls to ensure reservations for Dalits, tribal people, youths, women, OBCs, and minorities. The representation of deprived sections will be ensured in the CWC along with reservation for former prime minister and former presidents of the organisation," he said.
The subject committee will first approve the proposals and amendments on Friday evening which would then be approved in the plenary after a discussion on Saturday and Sunday.
“On Saturday around 10 am, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge will address the plenary followed by former party president Sonia Gandhi. Around 1 pm three proposals would be tabled on financial, political and international affairs issues, which will go on till 7pm,” Ramesh said.
He added that on Sunday morning, the plenary will discuss three other proposals on youth, agriculture, farming, education, social justice and empowerment.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi will address the plenary around 10.30am, followed by a public rally, which will also be addressed by Kharge and Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel.